Russia Slams Axios Report on Iran Nuclear Pressure as Smear Campaign
Moscow slams Axios report as disinformation, emphasizes no negotiations with Tel Aviv and continued support for Tehran’s peaceful enrichment under NPT
Russia, PUREWILAYAH.COM - The Russian Foreign Ministry has strongly rejected claims made in a recent Axios article that alleged President Vladimir Putin had urged Iran to accept a “zero enrichment” nuclear deal with the United States.
In an official statement, the ministry dismissed the report as a “politicized smear campaign” aimed at inflaming tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.
“One can only guess who ordered the publication,” the statement read, as cited by TASS, referring to the Axios headline ‘Scoop: Putin urges Iran to take zero enrichment nuclear deal with U.S.’ as part of what it described as a broader effort to manipulate international discourse on the issue.
Moscow Reaffirms Commitment to Diplomacy on Iran Nuclear Issue
Moscow emphasized that it has consistently supported a diplomatic and political resolution to the ongoing standoff surrounding the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear activities.
The statement reiterated Russia’s longstanding position that any progress on the matter must come through dialogue and negotiation, not media speculation or pressure tactics.
The Foreign Ministry stressed that Russia remains committed to playing a constructive role in facilitating a mutually acceptable agreement that respects the rights and obligations of all parties involved.
Russia Rejects Allegations of Pressuring Tehran
The Axios article had cited unnamed European and Israeli officials, claiming that Putin had personally encouraged the Iranian leadership to abandon domestic uranium enrichment and had communicated this stance to U.S. and Israeli officials.
However, the Russian Foreign Ministry categorically denied the accuracy of these claims, warning that such unverified reporting only serves to escalate an already sensitive international issue.
According to the ministry, there is no basis for the narrative suggesting that Moscow is aligning itself with U.S. or Israeli pressure on Tehran.
Call for Responsible Journalism and Verified Sources
In conclusion, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a firm call to international media outlets to maintain journalistic responsibility by relying on official and verifiable sources.
“We call on responsible global media outlets to cite official sources of information, explore topics, and refrain from publishing fake news,” the statement urged.
The ministry cautioned against the deliberate spread of misinformation, which it believes undermines serious diplomatic efforts and contributes to regional instability.
Claims in the Axios Article
According to Axios, Russian President Putin allegedly encouraged Iranian leaders to accept a “zero enrichment” agreement in coordination with the United States.
The article claimed that this proposal was shared with U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the Israeli leadership.
Axios further alleged that Russia had offered to extract Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile as part of the deal, while supplying Iran with low-enriched uranium for peaceful purposes such as energy production and medical applications. Moscow has categorically denied all of these claims, labeling them as false and politically driven.
Axios sources suggested that this supposed shift in Russia’s position came after the Israeli war against Iran, with Moscow aiming to play the role of mediator in any future nuclear negotiations. Russia’s Foreign Ministry, however, dismissed this narrative entirely and reiterated its official support for Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear development.
Iran Reaffirms Right to Enrich Uranium Domestically
Tehran has consistently maintained that uranium enrichment is a sovereign right guaranteed under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Iranian officials have long rejected any arrangement that would strip the country of its ability to enrich uranium within its own territory.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that Iran remains fully committed to its right to enrich uranium domestically. They also affirmed that Iran has not received any proposal from Moscow that would require halting enrichment on Iranian soil.
While acknowledging that, in the past, during the course of US-Iran nuclear negotiations, Russia supported a proposal to transfer uranium enriched beyond 3.67% from Iran to Russia as part of a potential agreement, the sources stressed that this was prior to the latest Israeli aggression and was never intended as a “zero enrichment” demand.
According to these sources, Russia’s official position in support of Iran’s peaceful nuclear activity remains unchanged. (PW)
Source: TASS